Posted on August 8, 2018
At a joint meeting of the Emmetsburg City Council and the Five Island Lake Board on July 25, the two bodies voted to remove the dredge from the lake and to explore methods for preserving the machine for future use.
Councilmember Bill Burdick, Jr. opened the meeting by saying he has spoken to “some city guys” and their suggestion is first to ensure the dredge still works it was last used two years ago and then use a crane to lift it from the lake. He mentioned encasing the dredge in plastic wrap, an idea floated at the last council meeting. “It’s a valuable asset,” Burdick said.
The Five Island Lake dredge rests in the water adjacent to land owned by the Stillman family. In a special meeting of the Emmetsburg City Council and the Five Island Lake Board on July 25, an agreement was reached to remove, refurbishe and store the dredge. — Darren Fraser photo
Lake Board member John Davis suggested the dredge be sandblasted and painted prior to storage. “It will definitely add to its value,” said Davis. “And preserve it, particularly if it’s going to sit for five years.”
Davis questioned the wisdom of wrapping the dredge in plastic. “I don’t think it [plastic] will last five years,” he said. He said using stretch-wrap would be expensive. “Four or five thousand bucks,” said Davis.
A second issue relating to the dredge is where to store it once it is removed from the water. A number of suggestions were proposed from the council and the board, including placing the dredge on a movable platform comparable to what is used during a house removal. The council and board decided to take up the question of where to store the dredge at a later date.
Lake Board member Jane Whitmore inquired how much maintenance is required on the dredge before it is put in storage. Lake Board Chairman Jeff Stillman replied, “My understanding is it needs a starter and a battery. And it’s pretty covered in raccoon poop and they’ve [raccoons] been through the cab. You could have a lot of wiring issues.”
Burdick said the second action item is to restore the spoil site to working order. Stillman, whose family owns the site, said removing some of the trees would prepare the land for crops. But he cautioned about removing the dyke built on the property in case the city resumes dredging in the future.
The city is tenanted under two lease agreements with the Stillman family. The annual amount for both leases is $30,000. At present, the city does not have the funds to continue dredging but it still must pay the leases.
Clint Young, who attended the meeting, is spearheading the formation of the Five Island Lake Association. The association would raise funds, including government grants, for all lake-related issues, including maintaining the dredge and future dredging.
Unlike the Lake Board, the association would be a non-profit organization.
Source: Emmetsburg
